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Friday, 18 September 2015

Story Published in "Wherever We Roam" Coming soon!

NEW short story coming soon!

Today I received some more great and very exciting news! My brand new short story, "Bring Your Pet to School Day" will be published in a brand new book titled, "Wherever We Roam" available exclusively from the Polar Expressions Publishing!


Image courtesy of Polar Expressions

"Wherever We Roam" will be a wonderful paperback/softcover book featuring short stories written by Canadians. I am honoured that my new short story is considered one of the best of the best and will be published as part of this collection.

The collection of short stories is set to be published and released in early December of this year; a great way to celebrate the holidays and end 2015!

I am very excited about this book, and I'm certain this will be a great collection of short stories which I cannot wait to read. I hope everyone will be getting a copy or two, and I hope you will enjoy and have as much fun reading my writing as I did working on it!





Remember, if you would like to get this book it is available exclusively from the Polar Expressions Publishing, and only a limited amount of quantities will ever be printed.

"Wherever We Roam" is now available for pre-order at: http://www.polarexpressions.ca/Shop.html!



Poem Published in "The Tracery of Trees" Coming soon!

NEW poem coming soon!

Last week, on Thursday September 10, 2015 I received some great news! I am excited to say that my poem "I Am Who I Am" will be published in a book called "The Tracery of Trees" which will be available exclusively from the Poetry Institute of Canada/Young Writers.

"The Tracery of Trees" will be a hardcover book composed of poems by Canadians. Thousands of poems were submitted from all across Canada, and I am very proud that my poem was chosen as one of the "best of the best" to be included in this book. "The Tracery of Trees" will no doubt be a great book filled with lots of wonderful poetry by Canadians, and I can't wait for it's release. A limited number of this book will be printed. It is scheduled to be published and released at sometime in late January 2016!

This is my first time being published by The Poetry Institute of Canada.
I hope you will all be getting a copy or two, and I hope you will enjoy not just my poem, but all the poems of the talented Canadian poets that will be included in this, what is sure to be an amazing, book!

"The Tracery of Trees" is now available for pre-order!


Wednesday, 9 September 2015

Congratulations to The Queen!

No I didn't write a poem about it, but maybe I will.  I just thought I should congratulate her royal majesty Queen Elizabeth II on her huge milestone.

Today marks 63 years since she came to the thrown (1952-2015) at the age of 26, that's 23,226 days of service. Longer than any other monarch in England history and maybe even world history; this will no doubt go down in the history books as a massive event. This is a major accomplishment for Queen Elizabeth II, as she has surpassed the reign of Queen Victoria, her great-great-grandmother (who up until yesterday was the longest reining monarch), and the reigns of all her other predecessors and all the Kings and Queens in her family before her. "Long live the Queen" has held true for Elizabeth II, can she pull off another 63 years? Never say never, anything can happen in this world, and only time will tell. She is only 89 years young, so let's wait and see.

As the now longest reigning sovereign in Canada's modern era, many things have been done here in Canada to mark this historic occasion. The Bank of Canada has released a special 2015 commemorative $20 bill, this banknote was unveiled today,  The Royal Canadian Mint has issued a few special commemorative collector coins,  and Canada Post has released a Stamp!

Anyway, all in all, a huge congratulations to Queen Elizabeth II!!!  Here's to many more!!!

And remember, I did say I might write a poem to celebrate and commemorate this, so make sure to keep a lookout just in case.

Friday, 4 September 2015

"Leaves Are Fun" poem

It's September, which means it's that time of the year again where everyone is happy and excited, but also a bit disappointed that it's almost time to return to school. It signals that fall is upon us and the end of summer draws near. Autumn always brings that bittersweet feeling of the end of summer fun and going back to school. 

I thought this was the perfect time and occasion to share with you all a poem that I wrote when I was in the third grade. It's not great and doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but please remember I was only eight at the time. It was however good enough to be published in the December 2002 holiday edition of the school news letter!  I had written this in October 2002, It was a month after I'd just started grade 3. Enjoy!


Leaves Are Fun
By: Vickram Bachan
 
Leaves are fun
they fall in the rain and in the sun.
They are red, green, orange, yellow
leaves.
And they make a mess
till you clean them please.



 


Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Happy Canada Day 2015!

Happy Canada Day everybody!

I hope you all enjoyed my new poem, "Waving Proudly 50 Years Strong" that I posted earlier today!
This years Canada Day is a special one for a few reasons. 

- In 2015 Canada celebrates its 148 birthday.

- We celebrate the 50th Anniversary of our wonderful flag! 

- It was on this day in 1873 when Prince Edward Island (PEI) joined the Canadian confederation and became a province in Canada.

- On this day in 1980, the inspirational Terry Fox arrived in Ottawa during his historic run. So today we celebrate the 35th anniversary of that.

- We also celebrate the 28th birthday of our Canadian dollar coin! On this day in 1987 the Royal Canadian Mint introduced the Looney. The new loon-dollar coins were used in unison with the $1 bill, until the Bank of Canada began gradually phasing out the one dollar bank notes.
(NOTE: This was actually on June 30, on the eve of Canada day.)

So all in all, today is a big day for milestones in Canada and Canadian history!  Once again, Happy 1st of July Canada!  Enjoy the festivities across the country, have fun, and most of all stay safe!

"Waving Proudly 50 Years Strong" Happy Canada Day 2015!

Happy Canada Day 2015 everyone!
I hope you will enjoy this poem!  Also, don't be shy to show your patriotism for Canada today!
This years Canada Day is a special one as we celebrate our flags fiftieth anniversary!




Waving Proudly 50 Years Strong
By: Vickram Bachan

It's now been fifty years, since our flag was unveiled,
At global events we cheer, so it can be the one that prevailed.

The red and white blowing majestically in the wind,
or displayed proudly wherever it's pinned.

With a red maple leaf in the center of it all,
Our flag will always stand proud and tall.

It represents a vibrant mosaic of all people's and cultures,
A place of acceptance, a place that always nurtures.

A growing community of all races and kinds,
Displaying us as one, a nation that binds.

Equality, democracy, freedom, and peace,
Canada is a close to perfect masterpiece.

All characters and personalities are welcomed here,
The only thing Canadians are scared of is fear.

Opportunities await in a land that always thrives,
We are fueled by our passions and our drives.

No matter what differences we all might share,
Canada is a proud country that will always care.

In 2015 we celebrate our national flags 50th anniversary,
It's the symbol of us proud Canadians; we stand on guard for thee!



Monday, 29 June 2015

Coming soon: Canada Day poem!

This year, Canada is proudly celebrating the 50th anniversary of our beloved Canadian flag!
In honour of this milestone for our great nation, I will be posting a poem on Canada Day to commemorate this special anniversary as our flag turns half a century old!

2015 marks 50 years for Canada's flag; I've been working on this poem which I hope everyone will enjoy. But, I've also started working on another special one.
2017 will mark the 150th anniversary for Canada itself! So, on Canada Day in 2017 I will be posting a poem that will not only celebrate Canada, but commemorate its sesquicentennial! I've already come up with some ideas for it. I can't wait to finish and share it with you all in 2 years time; but for the time being, you still have the one I will be posting this year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Canada's flag to look forward to!

Monday, 4 May 2015

Poems of Remembrace Day

Yesterday, on Sunday May 3, 2015 the world celebrated the 100th anniversary of the day John McCrae wrote the poem "In Flanders Field" during World War I and the Second Battle of Ypres.

To mark the special occasion we even got commemorative coins and stamps from The Royal Canadian Mint and Canada Post, as they released some awesome silver coins and stamps, in celebration of the famous piece of poetry.

Well coincidently it was around this time of year in 2010 that I wrote a Remembrance Day themed poem of my own. It's called, "A Noble Death" and it became quite popular with my friends family and the people around me who've seen it. Today I am happy to announce that the poem will officially be made public when I post it right here on my blog for all of you to see! The poem will fittingly be revealed on this years Remembrance Day on Wednesday November 11, 2015.  Mark your calendars!

Monday, 6 April 2015

Second Easter poem: "The Bunny's Job and the Eggs"

Here is the second of the two Easter poems!  Enjoy, and Happy Easter!

 
 
The Bunny's Job and the Eggs
By: Vickram Bachan
 
 
It's that time of the year, when the Easter bunny come hopping along,
he leaves Easter eggs hidden everywhere, but to whom will they belong?
 
Children go hunting to find as many as they can,
searching this way and that as they all ran.
 
Trying to fill their baskets right up to the rim,
they look from morning until the light gets dim.
 
Whoever finds the most eggs is declared the winner and awarded the grand prize,
a beautiful and delicious chocolate bunny, usually of substantial size.
 
The holiday long weekend is spent with family and friends,
Easter is celebrated with loved ones, until the late hours descends.
 
As the older ones say their prayers, and the young ones eat too much chocolate,
Easter now comes to an end, and the next holiday awaits.
 
The Easter bunny retires for the year, after a job well done,
he hops away happily, knowing everyone had fun.
 
Twelve months later he returns once more, as the time has yet again come,
as spring is back, more chocolate eggs are left, just as the plants are in blossom.
 
 

Sunday, 5 April 2015

Happy Easter long weekend, and update on poems!

I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend and having a great time!
I also hope everyone has enjoyed the first of the two Easter poems. One was posted a couple days ago on Good Friday, and as promised, the other will be posted a little later on! To kill the time, maybe you could have some fun re-reading the first one!

I hope everyone is able to be with family, friends, and loved ones, and is able to spend some quality time on this holiday!  Enjoy the poems!

Friday, 3 April 2015

First of two Easter Poems: "The True Meaning of Easter"

Here is the first of two Easter poems, I just finished them. I hope everyone has a Happy Good Friday!
Enjoy!

 
The True Meaning of Easter
By: Vickram Bachan
 
 
It starts on Good Friday, the beginning of the long weekend,
and Easter follows closely with the prayers that we send.
 
All we can do is thank Him for everything He's done,
over everything evil, the good will always have won!
 
We must also thank Him for all that he will do, for with Him nothing is possible,
this holiday is to not only celebrate, but to also commemorate His revival.
 
The Last Supper for Him, was the first one for us,
because of His sacrifice we may eat freely thus.
 
His gift of freedom is precious to us, and His sacrifice unrepayable,
He died for us all, and His mercy is undeniable.
 
With each nail driven, He felt all the pain,
He was crucified on the cross for us, now let it not be in vein.
 
With every drop of Holy blood spilt, our sins were forgiven,
His love for us is great. He has risen!
 


Wednesday, 25 March 2015

Coming soon, Easter poems!

For the past two weeks I've been working on a couple of Easter poems. I am happy to say that they are almost done! Are they good? I'll let you be the judge of that.  I am happy and proud of them, and I can't wait to share them with you!

They will be posted at different times, the first one will be revealed on Good Friday (Friday April 3, 2015). The other will be revealed on Easter (either on Sunday April 5 or Monday April 6 2015).
I am excited for you all to see them!

Saturday, 28 February 2015

End of February 2015

I had promised one more Black History Month themed poem before the end of the month.
Instead, I will be posting it before the end of NEXT February. So I will be saving it for Black History Month in 2016!

For now, I shall move on to other themes and subjects. So what will I be writing about and posting for the next 12 months?  Stay tuned and you will find out soon!
In the mean time and in between time, feel free to re-read and enjoy poems that are already here so far!

Thursday, 19 February 2015

Happy Family Day "A True Family"

I know this is a few days late, the Family Day holiday was this week on Monday February 16, 2015.
Here is a poem I came up with this week for the annual occasion. Sorry for the bit of lateness. Enjoy!


A True Family
By: Vickram Bachan

"Family Day" is a holiday to celebrate family,
But what is family? It's caring and loving each other equally.

A day to celebrate with the ones we love most,
And remember those both living and ghost.

We spend the day with the ones that care,
And together we think of those who can't be there.

Family are people who're always there when we need them most,
Today it is to them whom we shall toast.

You see, friends too are our family,
Mankind is a brotherhood, and we should appreciate them gladly.

We recollect old memories and the moments we shared,
And reminisce about the people that always cared.

Family can extend and grow beyond a tree,
Family is forever, and that's how it always should be.

Saturday, 14 February 2015

R.I.P - A Death Themed Poem - "The Wonderful Afterlife"

I know people die everyday; but several people I know have lost loved ones lately. I hear of people losing friends and family, which is freaky enough as it is, but to hear of so many deaths in such a short amount time is quite unsettling and alarming.
Just this past week alone, many people I know at work have lost a parent(s). This is a poem I wrote sometime between late 2010 and early 2011. It feels like a fitting time to post and share it, and I hope it will find everyone dealing with the loss of a loved one some comfort in this difficult time.


The Wonderful Afterlife
By: Vickram Bachan

Death is but a friend
we have never met,
and when he finally comes knocking on our door,
we must depart this world
and follow him.
Although we are missed,
we are not really gone.
We have merely moved to another world
and left everything behind.
Though our bodies will decay
our spirits linger on
and our memories will forever be remembered,
because love is immortal.

Happy Valentines Day! "My Hearts Secret Desire"

In November 2010 someone suggested that I write a Valentines themed poem. I've never really liked the idea if writing about that theme nor do I even care for the holiday (if you can call it a holiday, since we don't get the day off), but in the end I decided to try it. I think this was one of the best ones I came up with, I wrote it somewhere between late 2012 and early 2013. I've also recently received a few requests for a Valentines themed poem, I wasn't sure if I wanted to post one, but here it is by popular demand.  Enjoy!


My Hearts Secret Desire
By: Vickram Bachan

Special people like you are hard to find,
I wrote this poem with you in mind.

If only you knew how I felt, but you haven't a clue,
I love you, but do you love me too?

I love you because you're so beautiful and kind,
To not love you, I would have to be blind.

You hardly know I exist and I don't know what to do,
I just want you to love me the way I love you.

You are my one and only hearts desire,
With lots of love, from your secret admire.



Helpful Writing Tip!

If you're a writer like me and sometimes you want to write about a specific topic but don't know what to do or how to start, this is what you can try.

They say that all ideas have to come from somewhere. They also say that a writer is only as good as their own experiences. These sayings are not always true, sometimes if you are lucky you might get an idea from out of nowhere, it'll just pop right into your head.

But sometimes if you want to write about a special topic but have no idea what exactly to write about or how you should go about writing it because you have no experiences in that particular area, this is what I do; and it seems to work for me.

Put yourself in someone else's shoes and try to see things from their point of view. Looking at things from the perspective of say a character from a book or movie and trying to understand what they might be going through or feeling can help a lot. Try to pretend you are that person and in that sense, write about yourself (as that person) through that other persons eyes.

I hope this makes sense to you and will help!

Sunday, 8 February 2015

The inspiration behind my poem "I Am Who I Am"

I hope you all liked that poem, "I Am Who I Am" I feel it's something every human being can relate to. Everybody is criticized for something. No one is perfect, people come in all shapes and sizes. We are all smart in different ways, and we each have different and/or similar strengths. I've had to deal with people who will ignore all your good qualities and strengths and just focus on the weak ones. People need to stop trying to change everyone else into what they want them to be.

You shouldn't mess with the flow of things, never change something that works. Sure it's good to try different things and have new experiences, but you should never have change for the sake of having change! It's not always good to mess with the status quo.

If a person is comfortable, why does everyone else have to make them uncomfortable? There are lines no one should ever cross; sure it's great to want to get involved and help people out, but at some point and to a certain extent people need to know when to back off and mind their own business. Don't invade other peoples lives and try to change them. Some people are loud, some are quite; some people are tall, some are short; some people are fat, some are skinny; some people have long hair and some have short hair. And of course there are some things we cannot change even if we wanted to, some people are black, and some are white etc...

Everyone likes different things, and every individual finds solace in their own way; I don't know why people like to get on others' cases for these things. People seriously need to leave each other alone sometimes!  Another thing is that people learn and do things at their own paces, it's never good to push people too much, because you end up pushing them too far, and the results can be terrible sometimes.  Treat others the way you would want to be treated, because what goes around comes around. If a person is happy in one spot for their whole entire life, don't push them to another, if they want to leave their comfort zone(s) it should be their decision and not your, it's none of your business to be butting in.

I've always hated people that are bullies, especially the ones in a position of authority that enjoy and love to abuse their power. Never let bullies have an effect on you, it can only be negative, don't listen to them and don't ever let them change what you think about yourself. Every single bully turns out to be a coward and a hypocrite. So ignore people who are bullies; and for the love of God please don't be a bully yourself! 

Other people can't know or decide what is best for you, and they shouldn't. Only you should decide and can know what is best for you. We need to know what is best for ourselves and stop worrying about other people. If people don't mind your business and get into your personal life, don't mind or get into theirs without their permission.

You know, if you can do something that would make someone else's day, week, month, year, or even their life easier and more convenient, you should do it, especially if it doesn't cost you anything.
There is too much negativity in the world, some people need to try being more positive and stop making other peoples lives miserable; because when you die every single thing is left behind, our awesome resumes, our collections, our clothes, our savings, houses, cars, everything. Everything except our deeds, both good and bad. The only thing we take with us is what we've done in life and this world; and if you were a selfish jerk just trying to control everyone and everything and always wanting everything to be your own way, and treating other people like garbage, then the only thing that will be remembered of you is your idiotic negativity. We should live life to it's fullest and do things that we enjoy and make us happy (as long as it's legal), and allow everyone else to do the same, because when it's gone, it's gone. We only live once!

No matter who you are, or who you think you are, this is what I have to say. Don't be biased, don't show favouritism, don't be disrespectful, don't be racist, don't discriminate; and you will end up in Heaven and not the other place. Always be honest, honesty is the best quality, the truth shall always set you free. You can lie if you want, but it won't help you for long, because the truth always comes out in the end. Show equality, fairness, and peace. Every human being should be treated equally, that's what democracy is for. Canada is a free country, as citizens we are entitled to freedom of speech and expression. If what someone says does not hurt you, or if what they are saying is the truth, then you have absolutely no right to shut them up or to tell them to. We're allowed to voice our opinions and concerns (like I am doing right now).

My point is, not everyone can be perfect at everything. There is no such thing as the perfect human being. I hate when people tell other people you need to work on this and you need to work on that, not everyone can have or be perfect in every skill. Forcing people to change or do things they don't want to or are not ready to do won't make them feel better or happier, and it certainly won't make you feel any better or happier. We are all entitled to freedom and we should allow one another to have it!

So to all you critics, haters, and changers out there, GET OVER YOURSELVES!!!!

"I Am Who I Am" poem

Last week I promised I'd post another poem this week, and here it is! Enjoy!
This is a poem I wrote last year and it was based on and inspired by events that took place while I was in high school. I went through a lot, and a lot of people, not all but a lot of them (both staff and fellow students) gave me quite a hard time.  These words were how I felt. This poem is not just for Black History Month, but something that everyone can relate to in everyday life!


I Am Who I Am
By: Vickram Bachan 
 
Stop trying to change my personality,
Just accept me for who I'm meant to be.
 
I was born in a country that is free,
Canada is all about democracy.
 
If everybody were the same, the world would be a very boring place,
We are all different, that's why everyone has their own face.
 
I am what I am, and I'm going to be me,
I will not change to make others happy.
 
I won't act different to please everyone else,
I will always continue to just be myself.
 
If I'm comfortable with myself, then who are you to judge?
The Almighty above made me special, so don't you dare hold a grudge!
 
Hate me for who I am, but don't love me for something I am not,
If you want to make fun, then give me give me everything you've got.
 
Sure, I could change, but I wouldn't even want to try,
When I look in a mirror the reflection would lie.
 
I'll live my life the way I want and stay on track,
If I sold my soul I could never buy it back.
 
Life is about choices; it's up to us to make the right ones,
I will be myself, do what I want, and stick to my guns.
 
People will always judge me, no matter what,
I will do my own thing, and follow my heart and my gut.
 
So please don't try to change my personality,
Love me for who I am and always will be.
 
 
I hope you all liked that! Stay tuned for one more Black History Month themed poem; it'll be posted before the end of February!
 


Tuesday, 3 February 2015

"Who We Are: We are One" (second version)

Back in 2013, about a week or so after I wrote the original, I had some ideas and this came to me.
So, enjoy this second and slightly different version of  "Who We Are: We are One".
[Click Here to read the 1st version]

 
                     Who We Are: We are One (2nd version)
By: Vickram Bachan
 
The colour of our skin is clear to us, it is in black and white,
We are all humans, so why all the spite?

We need to be proud of ourselves and one another,
Our skin is like a suit that displays personality and character.

We are who we are for very special reasons,
We are the way we are and this is what we are given.

We are meant to be the way we are,
Each of us a sparkling, watery star.

Together, the human race makes a vibrant rainbow,
And when looked at from the heavens, we shine and glow.

Without peace that rainbow dies with silent woes,
For what racism does, I hope everybody knows.

We criticize the outside, seeing white, black, yellow, brown and more,
And we judge without understanding what lies beneath the pores.

Everyone's blood is red, the colour of life and death,
Though our true inner colours haven't been discovered yet.